Board of Trustees

Contact Us

BRIAN O’NEAL has been a trustee since 2002. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in business administration at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He continued his education at California State University Fullerton, taking courses in excellence in manufacturing management, and has completed certification courses for production and inventory control.

Now retired, Mr. O’Neal was in operations and manufacturing management for over 25 years with the most recent responsibility being with a Nissan Motor Corp. affiliate in Wilmington.

Mr. O’Neal is a member of the board of La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, a former La Palma city councilman and a former member of an OCTA transit committee. He also served on the board of the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program and is a commissioner with the Anaheim Sister City Commission.

His community volunteer activities include being a founding director and current president of the Scholarship Foundation of John F. Kennedy High School; participation as a Boy Scout adult leader for 33 years and still active; formerly serving on the Board of Youth 20/20; and acting as Neighborhood Watch Block captain for 35 years.

In addition, Mr. O’Neal was honored with the Navy Achievement Medal for service in Vietnam and was a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America’s Award of Merit. Mr. O'Neal lives in La Palma with his wife, Radhi. He has two sons: Scott, an orthopedic surgeon and Eric, a manufacturing engineer. He also has two step children: Rushika, an attorney and Ruwanga, a tea exporter/importer. Mr. O’Neal also has eight grandchildren.

CLERK, ANNEMARIE RANDLE-TREJO

ANNEMARIE RANDLE-TREJO was elected to the Board in 2012. Ms. Randle-Trejo was born in Los Angeles County 51 years ago, one of seven siblings. She has been a resident of Orange County for the past 46 years, 25 years a homeowner in Anaheim, raising two children who graduated from the District and are now 25 and 17.

Ms. Randle-Trejo began her devotion to volunteerism while a student as a “volunteen” in the public library and in the community as a Girl Scout. Because her first love was music, she also was a member and officer of her junior high and high school choirs all six years, and won numerous honors for her singing. To start her professional singing career, she obtained an associate of arts degree from Orange Coast Community College, but marriage and family took center stage.

She turned her volunteerism toward local schools and the PTA 26 years ago when, pregnant with her first child, she stepped up to volunteer at her niece’s Head Start program, and was hooked. Education and advocating for students became a calling.

In 1997, she began her career in the Anaheim City School District as a noon yard supervisor. She later became a special education instructional aide and is now a behavioral interventionist instructional aide.

Throughout her career, Ms. Randle-Trejo continued volunteering in Anaheim’s elementary and secondary school systems. She has served the AUHSD through 13 years and five superintendents in a host of volunteer opportunities pertaining to the welfare of students, with the primary goal of building inclusiveness for both the students and their parents. She believes she has spent that time gaining an education that couldn’t be bought.

In addition to serving on the PTA unit and council executive boards, Ms. Randle-Trejo’s involvement includes being a co-chair of the Measure Z Committee; a member of several School Site Councils; member of the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee; the District Advisory Council; District Website Subcommittee; Student Incentive Task Force; Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Foundation; Buena Park Youth Theater Commission Board; and band, choir, and athletic booster club member. She also has been active in Girls Scouts for many years.

ASSISTANT CLERK, KATHERINE H. SMITH

KATHERINE H. SMITH has served on the BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ANAHEIM UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT since 1996.

She attended Santa Rosa Junior College, the University of Nevada at Reno, and California State University at Hayward, with a major in elementary education. Mrs. Smith was an elementary teacher at Sherwood Academy; a volunteer in the presidential campaign of Sen. Barry Goldwater; volunteer in the grass-roots movement for Gov. Ronald Reagan; docent at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Birthplace; a substitute teacher for the Magnolia (Elementary) School District; the owner and operator of an interior decorating business, with clients such as The Brown Derbys in Hollywood and Beverly Hills; lecturer for a master’s course at USC’s Delinquency Control Institute (DCI) for international police officers on innovative ideas to reduce crime; lecturer on the topic at Chapman University, Long Beach State University, and Fullerton College; a member of the Parents’ Board at Servite High School; vice president of the substance and alcohol abuse committee at Servite; and real estate owner and manager for 46 years.

Mrs. Smith also founded GRASP (Group Resolving Anti-Social Problems), a nonprofit corporation, introduced at the Nixon Presidential Library and dedicated to finding and implementing solutions to gang-related problems. GRASP has promoted the implementation of school uniforms state and nationwide. She was one of eight national recipients selected from among 1,200 nominees for the George Washington Honor Medal, bestowed by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge in 1994. She was also the originator and co-founder of the National Coalition for Drug Policy Change, founded in 1993 at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University. Her effort stems from her belief that it is necessary to change the focus of the drug war. She is opposed to the criminal justice model, which has unjustly imprisoned African- Americans and Latinos and has broken our society. Instead, she believes in decriminalization, with medical intervention to combat the problem. The coalition was successful in gaining the inclusion of the Hoover Resolution in the 1994 Federal Crime Bill. Among the original signers of the resolution were noted economist Dr. Milton Friedman and former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz.

A California leader in education, Mrs. Smith turned to statewide politics in 2002, when her ballot statement pulled her through the primary to launch a campaign for California Superintendent of Public Education, based on her accomplishments.

In her 20 years on the school board, Mrs. Smith is proud of the many positive innovations she has championed, including: a daily Moment of Silence and Inspirational Quote; classroom postings of The Golden Rule; academic attire for students and professional attire for teachers; a five-minute cleanup bell to teach respect for public and private property; clean restrooms; establishment of the Character Counts program; championing career technical education (CTE); and placing cardiac defibrillators in all schools.

Her greatest achievement as the creator and innovator of Oxford Academy will live on for generations of students across the district. Oxford Academy, since its founding, has ranked number one in Orange County and within the top rankings nationally. Oxford Academy is noted for its high standards, outstanding parental engagement, and academic attire.

Mrs. Smith is also the driving force behind http://mamasheartsunited.com/, a website with resources designed to assist the community of mothers Worldwide who suspect their children are being recruited to join ISIS. The website includes tips to assist mothers in identifying and combating this activity and obtaining law enforcement assistance. Pope Francis has recognized this effort through the intersession of Orange County Bishop Kevin W. Vann at the Christ Cathedral, formerly the Crystal Cathedral, in Garden Grove. Mrs. Smith is a believer in the philosophy put forward by anthropologist Margaret Mead, that “one should never doubt that a small group of committed citizens CAN change the world.” Her hope is to gather this group at The Vatican, and with the support of the Pope, that this will come to fruition.

A 52-year Anaheim resident, Mrs. Smith has been married since 1963 to S. Clarke Smith, M.D. They have two sons who are USC and Chapman University graduates and four grandchildren.

MEMBER, AL JABBAR

AL JABBAR was appointed to the Board in January 2013. With his election in 2014, Mr. Jabbar became the first Sri Lankan-American to hold public office in the United States. In the run-up to the election, he was endorsed by many elected leaders in Orange County and the State of California. He received the endorsement of U.S Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who represents the 46th District; State Senator Lou Correa; Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens; and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. He was also endorsed by many local elected leaders.

Growing up, Mr. Jabbar was an active member of the United Nations Club and played basketball for college. He migrated to the United States in 1996 and attended Cypress College, where he was elected as Student Senator, Student Body President, and Student Trustee. He then went on to Cal State Fullerton, where he received his Bachelor’s degree and was also the Vice President of the American Marketing Association. He moved on to receive his Master in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach.

After graduating, Mr. Jabbar became very active in his city and in the Sri Lankan community in the United States. He was appointed and served for seven years as Cultural Heritage Commissioner for the city of Anaheim. He was elected as the Communications Director for the Orange County Young Democrats, where he served for one year. Al also served as Board Member for the Orange County Employees Association, the largest public employee union in Orange County.

He held numerous positions with the Sri Lanka Muslim Association of California and was elected as President of the organization. During his tenure, he was instrumental in implementing and providing relief projects to Tsunami victims, and other welfare projects in Sri Lanka. He also held many positions with an expatriate group.

Mr. Jabbar is a frequent master of ceremonies for many Sri Lankan events in Southern California, including the official Sri Lanka Independence Day celebration every year. He was invited by the Consul General of Los Angeles to introduce the President of Sri Lanka during the historic visit by the Honorable President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Al Jabbar is the son of Mohamed Ismail Abdul Jabbar, a retired attorney, and Ainool Khair Jabbar, former principal of Zahira College and a former teacher. He and his wife, Sameeha, have a daughter and a son.

MEMBER, ANNA L. PIERCY

ANNA L. PIERCY was elected in 2006. She earned an associate of arts degree from Long Beach City College and a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Long Beach in social studies and geography, with a minor in art and English. She also has a California Standard Life, secondary-teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach.

Mrs. Piercy was a part-time salesgirl, bank clerk, aviation statistician, and clerical temp before beginning her 37 -year career in the AUHSD. From 1968 to 1979, she taught 7th grade geography, art, and reading at Trident Junior High School; speech and drama and art at Oxford Junior High School, 1979-1980; history, English, speech, drama and art at Lexington Junior High School from 1980 to 2005, when she retired.

Mrs. Piercy also served on the Cypress City Council from 1996 to 2004, as mayor in 2000 and mayor pro tem in 1999 and 2004. She serves on the board of the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, and is a commissioner with the Anaheim Sister City Commission. She was on the Orange County Sanitation Board of Directors from 1998-2004, the Orange County Library Board from 1997-1999 and 2000-2004 and the Orange County Fire Authority, as an alternate, from 1997-98.

Mrs. Piercy lives in Cypress and has two daughters–Kenna, a teacher in the AUHSD, and Cameron, a medical assistant. They have given her five grandchildren she adores: Colin, David, Katelyn, Keely and Megan.

The five members of the Anaheim Union High School District Board are elected at large to four-year terms. Terms are staggered so there are openings every two years. Board members must live within AUHSD boundaries.

The Board of Trustees is committed to providing the leadership necessary to meet the District’s mission, which is to provide all students with a high quality, well-rounded educational program in a safe and nurturing learning environment that promotes:

High academic expectations for all students and employees

21st century learning skills for students to act as problem solvers and critical thinkers

Readiness for post-secondary education, career options, and civic and social responsibility

Citizen oversight of local government is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States. It is the foundation that has lasted through the turbulent centuries since our nation came into being. Today, nearly 100,000 citizens serve local communities as school board members, the largest single category of elected public officials in the United States. In California, more than 5,000 school board members govern the more than 1,000 school districts and county offices of education. California has the largest public school system in the nation, with the most diverse student body.

The school districts for which board members are responsible are multi-million dollar corporations. They are often the largest employer in a community, have the largest transportation and food service operations, and have the greatest number of facilities to maintain.

Anaheim Union High School District Website Disclaimer

Please note that any link to resources outside Anaheim Union High School District’s website is provided as a convenience and a link does not imply Anaheim Union High School District’s sponsorship or approval of any of these sites. When you access one of these sites you are leaving Anaheim Union High School District’s website. When you follow a link to one of these sites neither Anaheim Union High School District, nor any agency, officer, or employee of Anaheim Union High School District warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by these external sites, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from these systems, and cannot be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of their information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from these systems does so at his or her own risk. The resources, links, or directories are designed to provide information and assistance in facilitating services for informational purposes, crisis intervention, and/or counseling. A listing in Anaheim Union High School District’s website does not constitute an endorsement or certification by Anaheim Union High School District of the program or services offered.

!--

Anaheim Union High School District Website Disclaimer

-->

Share AUHSD Website on

District Campus Office Hours: Mon - Fri 7:45 am to 4:30 pm

501 N. Crescent Way, Anaheim, CA 92801

Phone (714) 999-3511 Fax (714) 520-9754

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.